A collection of twelve short stories where women are the central component. Nigerian women who have to fight to find their place. A woman left with her children in America whilst her husband’s lover has moved into their house in Lagos, another that gets a green card and goes to live with her uncle that will try to abuse her, and another that discovers who her husband really is when they arrive in America after their arranged marriage. More than a feminist manifesto, these short stories show the conditions of life of these women, highly dependent on their family and husband. Poignant little stories.
“I was happy when I saw your picture,” he said, smacking his lips. “You were light-skinned. I had to think about my children’s looks. Light-skinned blacks fare better in America.”
Content
Cell One / Imitation / A Private Experience / Ghost / On Monday of Last Week / Jumping Monkey Hill / The Thing Around Your Neck / The American Embassy / The Shivering / The Arrangers of Marriage / Tomorrow Is Too Far / The Headstrong Historian